Fantastic Beasts Producer on Colin Farrell’s Future in the Franchise

Based on the opening weekend return, Warner Bros. has successfully brought audiences back to the world of Harry Potter, but this time with a prequel. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them received a solid $75 million opening in the U.S. following mostly positive reviews, which should give the studio faith in their new franchise. With Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his beasts front and center throughout most of the film, the secondary story for audiences to follow centered on Colin Farrell’s mysterious Percival Graves.

Farrell’s character played an important role in the search the Obscurus, which kept him in close contact with Ezra Miller‘s equally mysterious character Credence. As it turns out, both characters were involved in two of the film’s major twists, one that will certainly play a part in the franchise moving forward, as it introduced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. And while Depp has officially walked through he door into the rest of the series, the question now is: Is that same door open for Farrell and Percival Graves?

The film’s producer David Heyman spoke to Snitch Seeker about Graves’ purpose in the film, and his comments suggest that purpose has been served for the time being. While the explanation he offered up for Grindelwald’s connection to Graves technically leaves the door open for the latter character’s return, it likely won’t be for a while, if at all. Heyman said:

While that may not please fans of the actor, or those who think Graves could play a significant role in the story that has yet to unfold, there is precedence for this in previous Harry Potter films. Plenty of characters made a very limited or one-and-done appearance throughout the franchise, which in some way helped make them more memorable. Considering the size of Farrell’s role in Fantastic Beasts and the part he plays in one of the film’s most shocking moments, it’s certain that both the actor and the character of Percival Graves will be remembered throughout the series.

And that may be for the best, as the focus of the franchise is said to be shifting towards Grindelwald and a young Dumbledore, leaving little room for the Graves character moving forward. That said, with five films planned, there is always the potential for the producers to change their minds, and fans may see Farrell yet again.